The Political Rise of Julian Castro

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Late last week, President Obama convinced Julian Castro to quit his job as Mayor of San Antonio to take over the presidential cabinet post of Director of HUD. Many may remember Castro as the charismatic keynote speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. With his political star rapidly rising and with his twin brother, Joaquin, already a member of congress, this was the correct time for Castro to leave local politics behind for a chance on the national stage.

Joaquin and Julian Castro

“He’s become a leader in housing and economic development,” President Obama said of Castro, calling him an “all-star who has done a fantastic job in San Antonio.” However, Castro’s short local career may have already peaked in the ultra-conservative State of Texas.

Moving Castro to Washington to build a national reputation now is almost certainly a deliberate and very savvy political move by Mr. Obama. With Hispanics quickly becoming the largest voting block in the country, giving Castro a chance to brandish his political chops in Washington now could put him directly in line as the perfect Democratic running mate in 2016. Imagine Hillary Clinton as the first female Democratic nominee and Julian Castro as the first Hispanic vice-presidential nominee.  The historic ticket of Clinton – Castro would be absolutely unstoppable!

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According to Javier Palomarez, the president and chief executive of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Castro could significantly help Democrats with Hispanic voters.

“As I’ve expressed directly to the president and to leaders of the Republican Party: Never before has the Hispanic vote played such a pivotal role in electing an American president, and never again will there be a president of the United States voted into office without courting the Hispanic electorate,” Palomarez said.

If Castro is confirmed and moves to Washington as the new Secretary of HUD, he would replace Shaun Donovan, who has been tapped to become the president’s new budget chief. President Obama could then take the young political star under his wing and create an almost infinite amount of opportunities for Castro to appear as a legitimate national leader.

In announcing the 39-year-old former mayor as his choice to join the cabinet, Mr. Obama looked back on Castro’s shining moment at the convention and how well he was received by the delegates. “They saw this young guy, pretty good speaker, not bad looking.  I thought, ‘That’s not bad,’ ” Mr. Obama joked, comparing Castro to himself and prompting laughter from the State Room crowd.

Unbiased Political News
Mr. Obama made history as the first African-American President of the United States.  Now, he could be preparing to make history once again by positioning Julian Castro to become the nation’s first Hispanic vice-president.  It’s possible.  In fact, it’s more than possible. Remember, you heard it here first!